


Fire Within

by magnusbicon (patrickbrewer)



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Anger, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Coda, M/M, Magic, Post-Episode: s03e16 Stay With Me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2020-01-04 10:52:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18342188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patrickbrewer/pseuds/magnusbicon
Summary: “You summoned her,” Magnus spits, furious disbelief wracking through him, “after everything I did to free him from her influence. You summoned her without consulting anybody, and you let her escape.”Magnus is shaking uncontrollably, and when he looks down, he realizes why. Thick, red ropes of magic are enveloping the table, splintering the material like it’s nothing, and they’re coming fromhis hands.





	Fire Within

Magnus’ steps are heavy with grief as he moves through the Institute, not even able to take comfort in the arm that Alec has draped across his shoulders. Every muscle in his body feels weak as he is pulled along toward the cafeteria, where Alec insists eating will help him feel better. 

His magic-

He breathes in harshly, squeezing his eyes shut and digging his fingers into his arms where they’re folded across his chest. He can feel eyes on him as they walk, different from the gazes he received before. These are full of pity, wonder, and just plain, unconcealed judgment. 

He is barely recognizable with his hair flattened and eyes bare. Even he can’t seem to find himself in his own reflection. 

“Here, sit,” Alec says, brushing the back of his hand across Magnus’ cheek as he pulls a chair out for him. “I’ll get us something to eat and be right back.”

Magnus closes his eyes and listens to the sound of his fading footsteps, to the loud chatter of the Shadowhunters around him, and for just a moment, he lets himself think about it. 

_Magic rips through his body, leaving it cold and barren as it sinks back into Lorenzo’s fingers. Yellow flashes behind his eyelids, blinding and beautiful and right there in front of him, but not his for the taking. His skin feels stiff when it’s gone, brittle under the care of Alec’s hold on him_. 

“Magnus!” Clary’s voice rings out behind him, and he sighs, slowly opening his eyes just as she rounds the table. “You’re okay!”

Isabelle, Jace, and Simon stand behind her, offering distracted smiles as they meet his eyes. 

_No_ , he wants to answer.  _Not anytime soon._

“You know me,” he replies anyway, his voice dead even to his own ears, “always ready for the next challenge.” 

Clary’s smile is forced, and Magnus tilts his head.

“What’s wrong, biscuit?”

She looks down, tucking her hair behind her ear, and shoves her hands into her pockets. Whatever she’s about to say, it’s clearly not something she’s proud of. 

“Jonathan’s hold on me has been getting stronger," she starts, looking up once more but not quite meeting his eyes, “and after all the research Jace and I have been doing, I realized there was only one possible way to figure out what to do to get rid of the rune.” 

She pauses, and Magnus raises an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair. 

“We had to go back to the source, so...we summoned Lilith.”

Magnus stops breathing.

“We brought Cain with us as backup, because we knew Lilith wouldn’t stand a chance against his mark. But then Jonathan showed up and almost killed Jace and Izzy, and Lilith bribed Cain and told him she’d bring his brother back to life if he went with her.”

The guilt on the faces surrounding him is clear as day.

“And?” he asks, his voice cold.

“We captured Jonathan. He’s in the cell in the basement.”

Magnus can feel a strange sort of heat bubbling in his gut, something dangerous, nearly uncontrollable. It reminds him of his magic when he was young, when Asmodeus guided him through countless murders, forced him to recite horrible spells. 

“And?” he repeats, his patience thin.

Clary hesitates, looks back at Jace, and Magnus stands so quickly his chair falls backwards. A hush falls over the room at the sound, but Magnus can’t be bothered to acknowledge it. He sets his hands on the table and leans forward, locking Clary in with his gaze. 

“She escaped,” Clary whispers, sorrow in her eyes as she begins to apologize, but he can barely hear her. 

Rage, unlike any he’s felt before, spills inside of him, devastating in its crimson burn. The world around him glows red, painting the cold walls of the New York Institute in a sinister hue. He watches as Jace pushes Clary behind him, his eyes wide with something akin to reluctant anticipation.  

“You summoned her,” Magnus spits, furious disbelief wracking through him, “after everything I did to free him from her influence. You summoned her without consulting anybody, and you let her escape.” 

Magnus is shaking uncontrollably, and when he looks down, he realizes why. Thick, red ropes of magic are enveloping the table, splintering the material like it’s nothing, and they’re coming from  _his_   _hands_. He lifts one, watches in detached wonder as tendrils twist in the air, moving out in every direction as though they intend to fill the entire room to the brim. 

“Magnus, I’m so sorry, we-”

“Shut up.” 

Alec pushes past the group and moves toward Magnus without hesitation, meeting his eyes as he stops directly in front of him. He reaches up slowly and envelopes Magnus’ hand in both of his own, pulling it down between them.

“Magnus,” he says softly, his voice so low Magnus is sure no one else can hear him despite the quiet restlessness of the room. For a moment his chest aches, flashes of his childhood and the terrified eyes of his victims clouding his vision, but then Alec squeezes his hand, and he is back in the present.

“I didn’t know,” Magnus whispers, and Alec nods. 

“I know you didn’t.”

They stare at one another for a moment, communicating silently, and Alec smiles slightly when Magnus’ eyebrows crease in concern.

“My strength will always be yours for the taking,” he says, squeezing Magnus’ hand once more.

Magnus can’t quite bring himself to smile back, but comfort washes over him as he closes his eyes and pulls. As Alec’s strength rushes into him, so does his magic. He can feel it nestle deep inside of him, curl back into a steel box that he isn’t entirely sure how to unlock.

When he opens his eyes the world is no longer red, and he is no longer hopeless. 


End file.
